Products of Parenthood: Reviews and Recommendations

Owlet Smart Sock

Photo Credit: Sparkle Illuminating Photography

Our first little guy aspirated meconium during delivery and landed in the NICU for a week.
As first time parents it was stressful but we learned a great deal about caring for our new baby. Because he aspirated sticky black tar-like stuff, docs were worried if he was breathing ok and if his little heart had to work overtime to get enough air. They had him connected to a big monitor above his little plastic tub that showed his heart rate and oxygen levels in his blood. It gave us insight into how well he was doing for the first week of his life, by the numbers. We joked and wondered what we would do after getting home.

Have you heard of the Owlet Smart Sock?

The Owlet Smart Sock wasn't available when our first son was born, but when I found out I was pregnant with our second son, it was the first thing I made sure to get.

It's a little sock you put on either foot of your baby and it will monitor their heart rate as well as oxygen levels. If either dips below a parent-set threshold a base that you place next to you will alert you.

The Smart Sock relies heavily on a strong internet connection, so if your wifi is spotty within your house and baby doesn't have known respiratory issues, you may find the false alerts a nuisance.

Baby A's delivery was much more controlled and as a result no aspirating anything during birth, so we weren't as worried when we got home and didn't have a stint in the NICU. But I still used the Owlet Smart Sock a bunch just for peace of mind especially while he was napping and I needed to also take a snooze. Even now, months later, on days that he seems stuffy, I'd pop on the little sock to check his oxygen levels. There were a few times it indicated that I needed to call a doctor, which I'm grateful for.